1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data recording/reproducing method, and more particularly, to a data recording/reproducing method with robust error handling capability and a data recording/reproducing apparatus using the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data recording media may be damaged due to its structural defects, careless usage, etc. For example, an optical disc drive can fail to correctly read data recorded on an optical disc loaded therein due to structural defects or scratches on the optical disc, dust, etc. To correctly read information recorded on an optical disc, research is being conducted to determine a method for detecting defective areas before or during a recording operation, wherein the defective areas are skipped or replaced with predetermined areas. Further, a method that records data with error correction codes is also being researched. The method that skips the defective areas or replaces the defective areas with the predetermined areas before or during data recording does not correct problems resulting from disc defects, scratches, dust, etc., generated after data recording. Methods for solving such problems have been proposed in Korean Patent Publications No. 1996-7006168 (published on Nov. 8, 1996), No. 1999-76751 (published on Oct. 15, 1999), No. 2000-66892 (published on Nov. 15, 2000), No. 2002-33754 (published on May 7, 2002), No. 2000-21178 (published on Apr. 15, 2000), No. 2001-95387 (published on Nov. 7, 2001), and No. 2002-72089 (published on Sep. 14, 2002), etc., and other like systems.
In addition, the method of recording the data with the error correction codes has a limitation in error correction capability due to the length of error correction bits. The length of the error correction bits is generally limited by a minimum recording unit (block). Accordingly, if the amount of errors generated by the disc defects, scratches, dust, etc. is larger than a maximum amount of errors capable of being corrected by the error correction method applied to the corresponding disc, it is impossible to completely correct the generated errors, so that data recorded on the disc cannot be correctly read. Such an error correction method was disclosed in the above-mentioned Korean Patent Publication No. 1996-7006168 (published on Nov. 8, 1996).
The above-described problems prevent backup data recorded on a CD-R/W, a DVD-RAM, etc., from being correctly read, thereby reducing the system reliability. These problems are more serious in write-once discs such as compact disc-recordable (“CD-R”) and a digital versatile disc-recordable (“DVD-R”). Since the write-once media has low error correction capability compared with different recording media, certain defects may not allow a drive to even access the disc.
Also, such defects may be fatal for certain data types to be recorded on the recording medium. For example, since program sources, database sources, etc., cannot generate similar data by interpolation as can be done in audio/visual (“A/V”) data, these sources should be protected by a robust method.